One afternoon in October 2011, Md Shafiqul Islam, then a leading engineer in the Department of Roads and Highways, was walking frantically through the corridors of the former Ministry of Communications, making plans to sign up for the Padma Bridge project.
The task had already faced a setback after the World Bank withdrew its funding.
Instances of corruption were filed against some of the officials of the assignment, resulting in the vacancy of the post of director of the assignment. While in charge of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway expansion assignment, Shafiqul only had two months to retire, but he could not take on a new challenge. .
“I imagine someone was going to update me, so why not me?’Let’s check it out,'” I thought. If I could introduce myself, I would get an extension,” Shafiqul told the Daily Star about how he got involved in the task of making revolutionary changes to the country’s communication formula and animating industry and commerce in the southwest region.
He said: “I went to the minister’s chamber at that time [Syed Abul Hossain] and expressed my wish. He got up from his chair, kissed me and asked, ‘Are you sure you need to do it?’he said, “Let me try. ” The explanation for this skepticism was that no one sought to enroll in the task because of the prevailing situation. “
Thus began his adventure as director of the country’s greatest and most confusing commission at most 11 years ago.
He is the longest-serving assignment manager in Bangladesh and leads the assignment from start to finish amid a myriad of challenges.
“We started almost from scratch. But we received the cooperation of everyone, from Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury [chairman of the government’s panel of experts] and his team to the new minister and the new secretary of the Ministry of Communications [now road transport and the ministry of bridges]. Regardless of the advice I gave, senior government officials agreed instantly. That’s why we were going to make this possible.
He said that when the bridge was to be built with the country’s own funds, the DP was informed that it had to start the task where the World Bank had left it. As a result, they prepared many things: tendering documents, design, prequalification – from the WB.
“It helped us a lot. “
Shafiqul said they first asked the government to grant them an extension to appoint experts to help with procurement and technical and monetary assessments.
“We did not have the capacity to make the technical evaluation of an order of this magnitude. We took them on board, and that strengthened our confidence and that of foreign entrepreneurs. This is our main base. . .
“We had a wonderful team for the evaluation work. Once the technical and monetary assessment was completed, we overcame a big hurdle and started moving forward with the allocation,” he said.
Bid evaluation work was completed in 2014 and an agreement was signed with the contractor in June of the same year.
Then there was a problem: They didn’t get task experts until December 2014, Shafiqul said.
When they did, the head of Korea’s consulting team resigned after a month. It took time for his replacement, Robert John Aves.
As things began to work, the task encountered another hurdle when a devastating flood in July 2015 ripped through much of the structure’s site. However, the paintings resumed after the flood ended.
Then came one of the challenges: stacking problems.
To facilitate the design of bridge pile foundations, he said, a soil survey had to be conducted at each dock site based on the type and dwellings of the soil. Due to time constraints, a soil survey was conducted at some dock locations instead of ’42.
But when the final examination of the soil began before construction, they may simply not locate the depths at 22 stacking points.
“This requires a redesign,” he said.
“There are only a handful of other people in the world capable of designing such piles, because a stake with an intensity of 122 meters has not been built anywhere in the world. It’s a world record. “
They approached a British consulting firm, but they may only take a concrete resolution and asked for more time to do additional studies.
They then contacted Flint.
They can also draw conclusions, but they made some observations.
“We’re a little frustrated. “
Robert then said they sought to apply some other testing method. There is an indication in the tender of this method, which has never been used in the world before, Shafiqul said.
In the method, a new type of stake is planted on the floor with a duct around it. Then cement injection of the soil is implemented around the piles and at the end of the decrease of the piles to their carrying capacity, he said.
It was not ordinary cement, but a kind of microfine variety bought in Australia. Cement is able to penetrate very small openings, such as soil pores and microscopic rock cracks, to strengthen, he said.
“We carried out the test, which lasted 10 months, and got a positive result. As this is not a method shown, Robert advised doing a momentary test. We were frustrated, but we had no alternative,” Shafiqul said.
They also tested positive for the time being. Then an organization of seven cemented piles will be available for the 22 pillars in order to increase their load capacity.
“We don’t know what would happen if we didn’t have this engineering [solution].
“We had to balance everything. We had to keep in mind the factor of a railway on the bridge, the possibility of an earthquake, and the impact of a 4,000-ton ship. “
“So it’s called the safest design because a lot of parameters have been added here,” he said, adding that the bridge would withstand an earthquake, undermining piles up to 62 meters below the surface and being hit by a ship loaded with 4,000 tons of cargo.
“It’s an engineering marvel. “
On the deceptive nature of the Padma River, he said they were aware of some disorders, such as 1. 5 cubic meters of water flowing into the river every second.
“But there are also unpredictable disorders: we don’t know when and where the dismantling will take place. Engineers have to make designs with the worst-case scenario in mind,” he said.
Then the attack on Holey Artisan in 2016 dealt a severe blow to the task with Japanese experts leaving the country.
Finally, there was the Covid-19 pandemic, which further slowed down the progress of the project.
Shortly after the pandemic hit the country in early 2020, they organized biobubbles for assignment and staffing, he said, adding that around 4000 employees worked under the exit and access restriction for about 4 months.
As the paintings gained momentum as the Covid scenario improved, the allocation site suffered the worst flooding in 10 years.
They built those slabs and brought those products from Luxembourg, which took time, he added.
Shafiqul called the stake challenge more difficult, saying, “It’s beyond our engineering knowledge. The designers were struggling. It’s a primary decision. There is no cure if a mistake has occurred. “
He said experts from about 30 countries worked on the task and brought devices and fabrics from 10 to 15 countries.
The other people who painted in this task were brave because they had to paint in the middle of the huge waves of the river, the deep fog and many other difficulties.
“The total allocation is the result of smart teamwork. “
“We have gained the acceptance of the authorities, we got the full help of the ministries and other stakeholders. Therefore, the credits not only pass to our team but to all the other people involved,” he added.
When asked about task timing and excess loading, Shafiqul said, “Nowhere in the world can a task of this magnitude be completed like here. Even the Chinese say they may not have built this bridge in less time. that the Padma Puente took.
On the cost, he said: “I would ask journalists to compare the allocation with infrastructure allocations such as the Bangabandhu railway bridge over Jamuna and the Meghna and Gumti bridges over Meghna. “
The load of the main bridge, the formation of the river and others, is about 12 billion Tk rupees, he said.
On the nominal life of the bridge, he said it is a hundred years if maintenance is maintained.
When asked about his emotions after the final touch of such a project, Shafiqul said, “Frankly, I don’t have specific emotions. . .
“I committed to the task knowing the challenges, and I thank the Almighty for rising to the challenges. “
He said the most is that the assignment sends a strong and transparent message: “Bangladeshi engineers can do a lot of things if they have a smart team.